Job interviewing

A job interview is your chance to show an employer what he or she will get if you’re hired.
That is why it is essential to be well prepared. There are five basic types of interviews:

The Screening Interview

It is usually an interview with someone in human resources (HR). It may take place in person
or on the telephone. They will have a copy of your CV in hand and will try to verify the
information on it. The human resources representatives will want to find out if you meet the
minimum qualifications for the job.

The Selection Interview

The selection interview is the step in the process which makes people the most anxious. The
employer knows you are qualified to do the job. You may have the skills to perform the tasks
that are required by the job in question, but the employer also needs to know if you have the
personality necessary to “fit in.” You have to be able to interact well with management and
co-workers in order not to disrupt the functioning of an entire department. This ultimately can
affect the company’s bottom line.

The Group Interview

In the group interview, several job candidates are interviewed at once. The interviewer or
interviewers are trying to separate the leaders from the followers. The interviewer may also be
trying to find out if you are a “team player.” The type of personality the employer is looking
for determines the outcome of this interview. There is nothing more to do than act naturally.

The Panel Interview

The candidate is interviewed by several people at once. It can be quite intimidating as

questions are fired at you. You should try to remain calm and establish rapport with each
member of the panel. Make eye contact with each member of the panel as you answer his or
her question.

The Stress Interview

It is a technique sometimes used to weed out those that cannot handle adversity. The
interviewer will try to artificially introduce stress into the interview by asking questions so
quickly that the candidate doesn’t have time to answer each one. The interviewer may also
ask weird questions, not to determine what the job candidate answers, but how he or she
answers.
 PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW

Before you begin to think about how you will dress for the interview, or answer questions,
you should gather as much information about the employer as you can. Not only will you
appear informed and intelligent, it will also help you decide if a job offer is eventually made.
You can also prepare for answering questions by listing some of your attributes. Talk to
former co-workers with whom you worked closely, and ask them to list some work-related
traits about you that they most admired. You want to seem spontaneous, but you also want to
appear self-confident. The way to do that is to rehearse how you will say it. Concentrate on
your posture, the way you make eye contact, and your body language.

Dressing for the Interview

Appearance is very important and it is the first thing people notice about us. You should
match your dress to employees in the workplace in which you are interviewing. If clothes are
very casual, those being interviewed should wear dress pants and dress shirts or skirts and
blouses.

Establishing Rapport

Since the interviewer’s job is to make sure that not only your skill, but your personality as
well, is a good match, you must establish rapport with the person or persons interviewing you.
That begins the instant you walk in the door. Let the interviewer set the tone. Nothing is as
awkward as offering your hand and having the gesture not returned by the other person.
Therefore, you should wait for the interviewer to offer his or her hand first, but be ready to
offer your hand immediately.

Body Language

Body language gives more away about us than speech. Eye contact is very important but
make sure it looks natural. A smiling, relaxed face is very inviting. Hands resting casually in
your lap rather than arms folded across your chest also is more inviting.

Answering Questions

Speak slowly and clearly, pause before you answer a question. Your answers will seem less
rehearsed and it will give you a chance to collect your thoughts.

Asking Questions

Usually toward the end of the interview, the person conducting it will ask you if you have any
questions. You should ask about what a typical day would entail. You could also ask what
special projects you would be working on. As in every other aspect of the job search, you are
trying to show the employer how you can fill their needs.

Money Questions
Money is a very sensitive topic. The candidate shouldn’t bring it up. However, the interviewer
may bring it up first. He or she may ask what salary you hope to earn. You must prepare for
this question before the interview. Find out what others in the same position are earning.
Always give a range, not an exact number. This will help keep you from pricing yourself out
of a job. You don’t want the employer to think they can’t afford you, but you also don’t want
them to think you are a cheap commodity.

Useful expressions

1. May I think about that for a moment?

2. In short, ...

3. What I’m trying to say is...

4. What are your views on...?

5. Would you mind repeating that?

6. How can I put this?

7. In other words...

8. Well, as a matter of fact...

9. I’m not so sure about that

10. Pardon?

11. I can’t help thinking the same

12. What are your feelings about...?

13. So in conclusion, ...

14. I see things rather differently myself.

15. True enough

16. That’s right

17. I don’t entirely agree with you

18. Perhaps I should make that clearer by saying...

19. How can I best say this?

20. Could you repeat what you said?

21. I couldn’t agree more

22. Actually...

23. To put it another way...

24. That’s just what I was thinking

25. In brief, ...

26. Could I just say that ...

27. Well, my own opinion is that...

28. That’s my view exactly

29. To summarize, ...

30. What was that?

31. I must take issue with you on that.

32. Let me get this right

33. Sorry to interrupt, but...

34. I’m afraid I didn’t catch that.

35. What’s your opinion?